1991
We love David Cronenberg, but can we fully figure out what’s happening in this film? How great is Peter Weller as the William S. Burroughs counterpart? What do we think of the fantastic effects? It’s a mindbender of a film that we’re talking about on the show as a new entry into our David Cronenberg series, but it’s for members only so make sure you sign up to get your membership so you can gain access!
Listen Now
Does Scott’s film work as a feminist statement or does the ending turn it anti-feminist? How great are Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis in their parts? And how did they ever get cast after Michelle Pfeiffer and Jodie Foster had originally been in the roles? This is a special member bonus episode, so make sure you’re a member of the show, then tune in and enjoy it!
Listen Now
Is this rightly regarded as a guilty pleasure? Should Bruce Willis be allowed to write more scripts? Is the silly comedy just too much for the general public? Tune in to this week’s show to get these answers and more!
Listen Now
Why did this film get relegated to a TV release? How does it compare to other Hood tales? And why do Hood scholars love it so much? Tune in to this week’s show to get these answers and more.
Listen Now
Does Kevin Costner kill it in the movie or does he just kill the movie? Can we get more Alan Rickman? And what’s up with all the witchcraft? Tune in to this week’s show to get these answers and more.
Listen Now
Kathryn Bigelow already showed everyone that she could handle action in her films with projects like Near Dark and Blue Steel when she and her husband-at-the-time James Cameron took on the task of doing rewrites to her new project Johnny Utah. With Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves coming on board to play the two leads, she was ready to prove herself yet again. And while she didn’t walk away with a film as successful as Cameron’s T2, she did end up with one of her highest grossing films and a cult classic that defined action films and surfing for years to come.
Listen Now
Even though “Star Trek: The Next Generation” was entering its fifth season and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier had underperformed, Paramount wanted to bring back the original crew of the Enterprise for one last hurrah to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the franchise. To write and helm the film, they turned to the man who arguably made the best film thus far, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Nicholas Meyer co-wrote it and ended up directing it as well, making a film that stands out as one of the high points of the franchise. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Star Trek series with Meyer’s 1991 film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Listen Now
Despite the bans on some of his earlier films like Ju Dou and Raise the Red Lantern in his home country of China, Zhang Yimou had exploded onto the world stage with these visually sumptuous films and had become a filmmaker worth talking about. Perhaps it was exactly this international presence that kept the Chinese government from suppressing his storytelling further – it gave him the popularity Zhang needed to keep making films. Whether that’s true or not, these early films of his certainly do feel like he has a few things to say about modern China, and it’s perhaps understandable that they’d take offense. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Zhang Yimou series with his fourth film, 1991’s Raise the Red Lantern.
Listen NowThe Next Reel’s Speakeasy is an ongoing series of ours in which we invite an industry guest to join us and bring along one of their favorite movies to talk about. In this month’s episode, costume designer Sarah Trost joins us to talk about one of her favorite films, Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Listen Now
When Shane Black was paid $1.75 million for his spec script “The Last Boy Scout,” it was the most any screenwriter had been paid for their script up to that point. It wouldn’t take long before that record was broken, but the bar had been set – and more importantly, the expectations – for what Shane Black the screenwriter could deliver. Unfortunately, the production was riddled with problems and the film struggled to make its money back. It didn’t kill Black’s career, but it may have signaled the beginning of the end for the spec script boom happening in the early 90s.
Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Shane Black series with Tony Scott’s 1991 action extravaganza “The Last Boy Scout.”
Listen Now